Union in Seattle

[Blue Heron]

While having lunch at Union a couple of weeks ago (excellent lunch), I asked our waiter if Union will feature a $25 multi-course dinner at the same time as 25 for $25 in November like they did in March. He reported the sous chef said they are working on a 6 course tasting menu for $25 during that time. I can't wait!

[tighe]

Gourmet recommended Union (along with Lark) and -- quizzically to me and presumably to anyone else who's eaten there regularly -- dinged them heavily for their service!

That's the kind of thing that makes me go "HUH??"   Were they at the same Union we go to?? I could, and have, found a couple of nitpicky things to say about Union, but the service is definitely not one of them.

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I'm just about as big a Union fan as could be (not that anyone here could tell that), and I have to agree with Gourmet's comment on service. It is almost always well-intentioned and friendly, but I've witnessed too much jaw-dropping amateurism to give them a total pass on it. Certainly nothing I've experienced will keep me from going back as often as possible, but it does prevent the experience from reaching the next level. There are a couple servers that are the worst offenders, but I can't say I've ever had what I would call a truly top-class service experience there.

[mb7o]

I suggested Union to a friend recently.

He reports that he will never go back. It took over 2 hours for a 2 course mid-week dinner, including long stretches with nothing happening--including things like over half an hour for a drink refill.

Additional comments: the lighting was so dim that multiple people (both in his party and other adjacent parties) had to use the candle to try to read the menu. Also it was noisy.

The one time I was there was by a window in the summer, so light wasn't an issue. And it was early, so noise wasn't either. Service was fine in the beginning when the place was mostly empty, but became inattentive later.

[vengroff]

Switching back from service to the food, Ethan has been doing some wonderful combinations of seafood and mushrooms lately. I recently had a seared scallop over braised oxtail and paper thin sliced mushrooms. It's a perfect dish for the changing season, with the creamy scallop balancing the hearty winteriness of the braise. A fantastic combination with a half bottle of Pinot Noir. I also had a red drum filet with a crackling crisp skin served over a bowl of meaty matsutake mushroom and herbs.

Cheese was, as always, a carefully chosen selection that covers all the important points on the spectrum, from a creamy mild goat-cow mix through an aged Vermont cheddar to a sharp runny French washed rind cheese.

Along with the cheese I had what has to be be the best-hidden gem to be found in Union's cellar--a Real Companhia Velha Royal Oporto Colheita 1944. Not that's not a typo, it's the 1944 vintage colheita. They have had the bottle in house for four months now, and apperently I was the first to order it. At $25 a glass it's less expensive than the $30 1977 (Ware's I believe, but I could be wrong) that tops the list, but inhabits an entirely different planet of aroma and drinkability. It's smooth as silk, starts of big and fruity and then settles in for a lovely long walnut finish.

I sat at the bar, as I was dining alone, and learned that Jason, the bar manager, has moved to London to pursue graduate studies in Philosophy, leaving the bar in the able hands of Avel, who seems to find his way into some of the best jobs in town--Union and Salumi are both on his resume. Avel has put together a new fall cocktail menu, keeping some of the classics, like the Montmartre, but adding some intriguing new options like a pear margarita.

It also turns out that yesterday, Oct. 1, was Union's 1 year anniversary. Congratulations to Ethan, Michelle, and the entire Union crew. I wish you many years of continued success.

[tighe]

Switching back from service to the food, Ethan has been doing some wonderful combinations of seafood and mushrooms lately. 

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I totally agree. Before eating at Union, I never thought of pairing mushrooms with fish, but those are some of the best dishes I've had there.

[SeAAttle]

Yeah, I don't get it.

We've been to Union twice and had poor service both times. 

Now I KNOW many others have gone and had GREAT service.

We'll go again...maybe third time will be the charm and the service will reach the level of the food.

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Ask for Rainer. He has always provided great service for us. He is also the sommelier.

The last time we dined at Union was Rainer's night off and the service was not up to the usual standard.

[reesek]

dinner at union on saturday.

we ate at the bar (my preference. i think the bar is more intimate and romantic...maybe it's the red wall). i had wanted to try the tasting menu, but dishes from the main menu called to me. we had a bottle of the Peachy Canyon zin from Paso Robles. it's very good. (and you can buy get it at TJ's).

firsts - duck egg yolk, frisee & lamb prosciutto. definitely the most luscious yolk i've ever eaten. the frisee was also very good and it all worked well with the lamb prosciutto. i'm new at all this meat stuff and lamb tastes very gamey to me. i remember when i loved that...and i still think i'd like roast lamb, but for now i think i'll stick to pork and beef. (oddly though - i'm not usually crazy about proscuitto - and i far preferred the slightly denser lamb texture to pork's.)

so, in conclusion, i must be adopted by someone who will show me the ways of salumi.

also first - crab salad with grapefruit wrapped in ahi. i've had this before...it's the essence of crab. absolutely outstanding. i asked the waitress if the salad had any crab consume or essence or something in it to make it taste so crabby but she seemed sure that there wasn't. the grapefruit was astonishingly sour.

second - seared hamachi with avocado puree, bitter microgreens and passionfruit. more pared-down food prepared exquisitely. not much more to say - it was a damn fine piece of fish, and all the flavors harmonized beautifully.

third - halibut wrapped in bacon with creamy farro and bruniose veg. bizarrely, at the moment i was about to toast my boyfriend - telling him how cool he is, how lucky i am etc...he referred to the farro as "like soup-mix." upon seeing my face he said, "no, good soup mix." i have no idea what he meant. there were tiny carrots - but otherwise i'm at a loss. the farro had that wonderful texture, and it was creamy and winey and rich - a perfect foil to the sharp salt and crisp exterior of the bacon hiding the tender juicy mild flesh beneath. mmmm

dessert was vanilla pannacotta with huckleberries. and moscato d'asti.

a truly wonderful meal.

[sequim]

Well, have you been to Armandino's place for salumi? You can get indoctrinated there....I don't know of any better...

What a great dinner, I'm hungry! (as I sit here with glass of wine and no dinner in sight...)

dinner at union on saturday.

we ate at the bar (my preference. i think the bar is more intimate and romantic...maybe it's the red wall). i had wanted to try the tasting menu, but dishes from the main menu called to me. we had a bottle of the Peachy Canyon zin from Paso Robles. it's very good. (and you can buy get it at TJ's).

firsts - duck egg yolk, frisee & lamb prosciutto.  definitely the most luscious yolk i've ever eaten. the frisee was also very good and it all worked well with the lamb prosciutto. i'm new at all this meat stuff and lamb tastes very gamey to me. i remember when i loved that...and i still think i'd like roast lamb, but for now i think i'll stick to pork and beef. (oddly though - i'm not usually crazy about proscuitto - and i far preferred the slightly denser lamb texture to pork's.)

so, in conclusion, i must be adopted by someone who will show me the ways of salumi.

also first - crab salad with grapefruit wrapped in ahi. i've had this before...it's the essence of crab. absolutely outstanding. i asked the waitress if the salad had any crab consume or essence or something in it to make it taste so crabby but she seemed sure that there wasn't. the grapefruit was astonishingly sour.

second - seared hamachi with avocado puree, bitter microgreens and passionfruit. more pared-down food prepared exquisitely. not much more to say - it was a damn fine piece of fish, and all the flavors harmonized beautifully.

third - halibut wrapped in bacon with creamy farro and bruniose veg. bizarrely, at the moment i was about to toast my boyfriend - telling him how cool he is, how lucky i am etc...he referred to the farro as "like soup-mix." upon seeing my face he said, "no, good soup mix." i have no idea what he meant. there were tiny carrots - but otherwise i'm at a loss. the farro had that wonderful texture, and it was creamy and winey and rich - a perfect foil to the sharp salt and crisp exterior of the bacon hiding the tender juicy mild flesh beneath. mmmm

dessert was vanilla pannacotta with huckleberries. and moscato d'asti.

a truly wonderful meal.

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[ScorchedPalate]

We took my visiting sister and bro-in-law to Union last night for the $25 tasting menu. A quick perusal of the menu confirmed all previous posts that this year's offering is not as generous as last year's blowout -- but still a fabulous deal at $25. Courses were amuse, salad, soup, main, first dessert, second dessert; missing from the regular lineup were the tasting amuse (in addition to the amuse every diner gets), fish course, cheese course.

We were all disappointed to see that they do not offer paired wines by the glass with the $25 menu. Luckily, we had 4 people, so full bottles weren't a problem.

Amuse: Rabbit liver mousse. A tiny quenelle; pleasantly grainy, gamey, plum-colored

Salad: Dungeness-and-avocado salad. A small cylinder of the crab+avocado mix, topped with frissee. Good textures, fresh flavors.

Soup: Cream of baby turnips with date puree. The usual Union presentation: dollop of date (more like a paste) in the bowl, soup poured tableside from a sauceboat. Lovely, subtle flavors. When you put a bit of the date on your spoon before filling it with soup, the taste was very autumnal and thanksgiving-esque.

Extra: an order of foie gras with 50-year balsamic and small-diced butternut squash (off the regular menu) to share; the chef added an order of almost-too-beautifully seared ahi with flageolet beans

Main: Hangar steak with wine reduction. Served on mashed potatoes with chives and cabbage leaves mixed in, then the whole thing drizzled with a hint of truffle oil. Cam adds, of the taters: “Felt odd on the fork, but in the mouth? Once again, Chef Stowell renders a master class in textures -- al dente crunch underneath creamy mashers. Yum.” Steak was on the rare side of med-rare, good and meaty, delicious sauce.

First dessert: Quince sorbet with goat yogurt. My plate didn't get quite the right balance of yogurt-to-quince, so I didn't finish; the quince needed the yogurt to cut its intense sweetness. It was also a bit too much like the date puree in color, texture, and form for my preference. Not a clunker, but not a favorite.

Second dessert: Vanilla panna cotta with cranberry-orange compote. Another variation on a Union standby. Nicely done, as usual.

2 bottles of wine: a just-what-we-wanted Eyrie Pinot Gris, and a superb Bordeaux-style red blend from Beresan in the Walla Walla Valley, recommended by Hans.

All in all, a lovely evening and a phenomenal value. If you haven't been there this month, I'd encourage you to go while the gettin' is good.

~Anita

[skyflyer3]

We did the $25 tasting menu at Union last night , and had the following:

Amuse Bouche: Little teaspoon filled with chopped tuna tartare, like toro, with chives and olive oil. Yummy. That olive oil was gooooood - smooth, rich and buttery.

Salad: Frisee, pike and herbed creme fraiche. The pike was a little meaty, the creme fraiche was awesome and the bitterness of the frisee really complimented the creamy richness of this dish.

Soup: Hm, I don't remember this one well, I'm guessing rabbit confit in pureed asparagus cream soup. It was bits of rabbit, dark meat that was shredded, a little gamy and salty, chewy in texture, and the soup was all pale prettiness.

Meat: Muscovy Duck something, on slices of persimmon and little berries. This was *awesome*. There was about five slices of duck, cooked rare, and it was salty, and sweet, and meaty and fatty and crispy, and just perfect. This one was my favorite.

First Dessert: A little dollop of goat yogurt sorbet with clove oil. I think this would been better with Clear Creek Brandy and some honey - the clove oil totally detracted from the refereshing flavor of this sorbet. There was something fruity in this, maybe it was quince? I'm only guessing that because I see it on the menu above. I didn't expect to like this, because it sounded weird, but if it had been honey on the bottom I think I would have been pleasantly surprised.

Second Dessert: Panna cotta with cranberry/orange relish. The panna cotta was lovely and delicate as usual, not as creamy as I like but it was light and that was nice. I had made cranberry orange scones that day, so it was weird to see this as an accent here, but it added a bright flavor that made it a wonderful ending to a lovely meal.

I totally thought we'd be hungry afterwards, but it was a very fulfilling meal and I was so happy we chose to do this again. We try so many new restaurants all the time, it's nice to find a gem of a restaurant that makes it a pleasure to return. Next time, I'm bringing friends.

[Eden]

Skating in on the last possible night we also tried union's $25 tasting menu this evening, and it was lovely. Almost identical to and yet occasionaly different from the menu skyflyer3 enjoyed, so I will repeat much data to highlight the differences.

Amuse Bouche 1: Little teaspoon filled with chopped tuna tartare, but this time with gently sauteed shallots and chives. My Bill is not a worshiper of raw fish & said this was very nice for him but would have been awesome for a sushi lover...

Amuse Bouche 2 (Zipped together to accomodate the fact that I can't eat fish or seafood): a bite of grilled? rabbit that was perfectly tender with just the right balance of caramelization & saltiness, served over the sauteed shallots & chive (dash of pepper?) that had been mixed into the tuna. I would have ordered the rabbit as an entree then & there if I hadn't read skyflyer3's description of the duck...

salad 1:

Salad: some kind of long thin strips of green veggie (I missed the description), frisee, beets, and seared Ahi towered up over a pool of creme fraiche. Bill loved the flavors here in general, but said the ahi added nothing but a bit of structure betwen the creme & the salad, it could have been anything in there.

Salad 2 (for anti-fish girl): mixed greens with toasted "walnuts" & a generous bit of goat cheese. I have issues with walnuts which is what the waitress said they were so I just shoved these aside at first & enjoyed the simple greens & the lovely creamy goat cheese, but then Bill actually looked at them & realized that they were toasted pecans, so I mixed them back in & yumm!

Soup: Potato leek soup with shredded bits of rabbit confit which had a lovely bit of spice mixed into it that I couldn't identify, and wow the contrast of the spicy salty bunny against the velvety soup was sooo good.

Meat: Muscovy Duck breast, on slices of persimmon "carpaccio" with huckleberries cooked in port (and some stock?) to sauce it. "Awesome" is exactly right. Bill doesn't like his duck too rare, but since mine was less so we just switched plates & then all was well with the world.

Palate cleanser/First Dessert: A little dollop of goat yogurt sorbet with pomegranate seeds. Oh my yes! the goat yoghurt was not too sweet, it was just light & tangy & somehow rich at the same time, and the contrast of the pomegranate seeds flavor and texture was perfect.

Second? Dessert: Vanilla Panna Cotta with "grapefruit honey soup". A lovely panna cotta, on the stiffer side, but having had a range of panna cottas in Italy I don't have a set idea of how this dish must be made. It was creamy and sweet but not too much so, and the vanilla seeds sprinkled on the outside per very pretty. It was set in the midst of perhaps 2 tbsp of "grapefruit honey soup" which would have been lovely as a _very_ lightly sweetened juice drink, I scraped up as much as I could with my spoon & loved it on it's own, but it was wrong wrong wrong with the panna cotta, too sour & just the wrong flavor to go with this particular dessert.

Overall I had a lovely meal and would happily dine there again. I think the chef has some brilliant inspirations, like the raw persimmon with duck, and am willing to have one or two little wrong notes in the mix for the sake of letting him try creative combinations. Interesting that here I felt like the unusual combos were a sign of creativity while at Cascadia I considered them nothing but pretension, I don't knwo where/how one draws that line (an interesting seperate topic which may well have been done already) especially since there were definate signs of pretention in the menu descriptions "persimmon carpaccio" - please!

I'm glad to have a good restaurant in this space again & will defiantley be sending friends here.

Eden

[edited to clarify that MY Mr. Bill is different from the Mr. Bill already in this forum - with apologies]

Edited December 2, 2004 by Eden (log)

[DRColby]

I had lunch today at Union with two business friends. I think we are about to run out of superlatives for Ethan's presentatons. Needless to say my friends we impressed, with both the food and the price.

I don't know if it has been mentioned on this thread but Ethan is on tap as guest chef at the Beard House in March. It would be neat to be able to be there, if not to eat at least for moral support. I'd be game for a trip to NY if others would like to join in and we could expect to get some seatings. Cheer along and back our chef from the provinces, just like they do in France.

Takers, or more discussion?

Dave

[tighe]

I had lunch today at Union with two business friends.  I think we are about to run out of superlatives for  Ethan's presentatons.  Needless to say my friends we impressed, with both the food and the price.

  I don't know if it has been mentioned on this thread but Ethan is on tap as guest chef at the Beard House in March.  It would be neat to be able to be there, if not to eat at least for moral support.  I'd be game for a trip to NY if others would like to join in and we could expect to get some seatings.  Cheer along and back our chef from the provinces, just like they do in France.

    Takers, or more discussion?

Dave

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Dave,

Do you know the exact date? I couldn't find it on the Beard web page. There's a good chance I'll be in NYC the third week of March.

[DRColby]

I had lunch today at Union with two business friends.  I think we are about to run out of superlatives for  Ethan's presentatons.  Needless to say my friends we impressed, with both the food and the price.

   I don't know if it has been mentioned on this thread but Ethan is on tap as guest chef at the Beard House in March.  It would be neat to be able to be there, if not to eat at least for moral support.  I'd be game for a trip to NY if others would like to join in and we could expect to get some seatings.  Cheer along and back our chef from the provinces, just like they do in France.

    Takers, or more discussion?

Dave

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Dave,

Do you know the exact date? I couldn't find it on the Beard web page. There's a good chance I'll be in NYC the third week of March.

←

I think Ethan said the 21st, but don't hold me to that. I can give him a call to cofirm the date, and, if you wish, see if we could get some seats. We have some shirt-tail relatives in NY that are foodies and would probably join us.

dave

[rockdoggydog]

Had Christmas Eve dinner last night at Union, mmmmmm yeah! The menu was a six course special menu that ended up being eight for $65.

1. Amuse #1 - Guinea Fowl Confit on toast, a last minute additon that Ethan decided to throw in, he serves this one fairly often I think, at least I've had it a few times nice vinegary bite in the fowl that just nipped you at the end.

2. Amuse #2 - Black Sea Bass Tartare with Shaved Cucumber Strings and Basil Oil, nice and light way to start, the cucumber and sea bass were very light and matched the wine we had, a rose, perfectly.

3. Lebanon Artichoke Soup with Foie Gras Mousse on Crouton, really nice contrast in the temperature between the mousse and the soup, the two melded together really well. The soup was very mild in flavour and the mousse was fairly salty and the two together were just right.

4. Sea Scallops with Trumpet Mushrooms with Truffle Oil, the mushrooms were definitely the highlight of this dish, nice and firm offering an excellent foil to the scallops which were nice and simple, just sauteed and placed atop the mushrroms.

5. Squab and Foie Gras with Pureed Maple Dates, this was a really neat surprise our waitress came out and told us Ethan was sending us a little bonus, hah little , the squab was wonderfully tender and with a nice crisp outside, Dani said the foie gras was the best she'd ever had but anytime I'm presented with a fat slice of pan fried foie gras that's the best foie gras I've ever had too. The pureed dates were an excellent contrast to the rich foie gras and the salty squab, refreshing the palate with every bite.

6. Grilled Venison Tenderloin with Fingerling Potatoes and a Tart Berry Sauce, I'm a sucker for game meats, this is the course that sold me on the dinner in the first place when I was thinking about making reservations. It lived up to all my dreams and aspirations and was an excellent match to the Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir we had.

7. Cheese Course, a small slice of a blue that I cannot remember the name of for the life of me, really mild as blues go, a really good way to start winding down the evening.

8. Warm Chocolate Cake with Malt Ice Cream and Vanilla Bean Creme Anglais, the cake was not too dense or sweet and paired up with the ice cream and creme anglais sublimely. Not too big either as I was just absolutely full at this point.

Our favorites were the Tartare and the Squab both of them were so freaking good it just made our nights. This may become a Christmas tradition for Dani and I as it was really relaxing and gratifying to do. The restaurant was pretty busy acutally, Hans said that they may squeeze in a third seating next year as things went so smoothly this year. Ahh, I'm officially replete. Merry Christmas everyone!

Rocky

[edited for spelling]

Edited December 26, 2004 by rockdoggydog (log)

[vengroff]

After your description of Christmas I'm looking forward to New Years eve at Union more than ever.

[vengroff]

On January 16th Union will be hosting a wine dinner with Beaux Freres Pinot Noir from Oregon. In addition to a vertical of their highly regarded pinots, there will be at least one twist--a pinot noir rosé. I'm not sure what to expect from the rosé, but it should be fun. And of course Ethan's food should be spectacular as always.

I don't have details on the menu or pricing, but if you are interested I recommend giving them a call.

[Really Nice!]

On January 16th Union will be hosting a wine dinner with Beaux Freres Pinot Noir from Oregon. 

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This alone is worth the price of admission. It's a great pinot. Thanks for the heads up!

[vengroff]

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So you think you can post on this thread without reporting on your New Year's Eve dinner?

←

OK, from memory here. Apologies if there are inaccuracies.

New Year's eve was actually an interesting mix. It began with a couple of very traditional NYE courses, then settled into some favorite motifs from the preceding year.

First there was a tower of cold-smoked salmon on a round of toasted brioche with creme fraiche and topped off with spoonbill caviar. Next, foie with cheries. I thought both of these initial dishes were well executed, but as I said, they were more traditional than what I normally expect at Union. We had their New Mexican sparkler with these.

Things transitioned quickly, however, to more typical Stowell fare, including a lobster salad with mango and vanilla oil, followed by a seared sea scallop in a smooth turnip soup with oregon truffles. Both the lobster and the scallop were perfectly tender, just cooked through but not a moment past. We had a Domain Zind Gewertz with these two courses.

Next, Fife L'attitude 39 with beef (strip loin?) and artichokes--meduim rare and exceptionally beefy. This was probably my second favorite after the soup.

We finished the Fife with a slice of Pierre Robert, thin slices of rasin walnut bread, and some mixed greens in place of the frisee often served with the cheese course.

First dessert course was a (poached?) kiwi with goat yogurt sorbet followed by a midnite champagne toast which all the staff joined in.

Finally, we had our first dish of the new year, an exceptionally rich demi-tasse of chocolate espresso pot-de-creme with a Hungarian Tokai.

All in all it was a great evening of food, company, and celebration. Not a typical night at Union, at least for me, but extremely enjoyable nonetheless.

[Really Nice!]

Had dinner there last night for Valentine's Day, here's the menu:

Dungeness Crab Salad

with basil and avocado

Oysters on the Half Shell

with meyer lemon, spoonbill caviar

Celery Root Soup

with poached duck egg, shaved truffles

Seared Ahi Tuna

with blood orange and baby beet salad, mint oil

Braised Rabbit Leg

with umbricelli pasta, fresh thyme, and parmigiano-reggiano

Grilled Squab

with artichoke purée and aged balsamic

Pierre Robert Cheese

with fig marmalade and petit salad

Chocolate Espresso Pot de Crème

Best dish of the night is a toss up between the soup, rabbit, and squab.

[Blue Heron]

Had dinner there last night for Valentine's Day, here's the menu:

That menu looks good. We were going to go for Valentine's day lunch but from across the street it appeared to be closed (chairs upside down on tables), so we walked down to Pike Place Market and had a nice lunch w/window table at Place Pigalle instead.

[vengroff]

We had crisp-skinned black bass over rich creamy faro with herbs and tiny cubes of brunoise carrots. It was so good we had to order a second one. My dinnermate, who has been to Union probably a dozen times, pronounced it the best dish she's ever had there.

I started with poached artic char. Ethan has been poaching fish lately and presenting it in soups and salads with nice effect. It's a nice change from the usual saute or grill treatment most seafood gets these days.

We also enjoyed the Treana 2001 Mer Solier. At 61% viognier it's pretty much a shoe in that I was going to like it.

For the cheese course they've switched from a selection of five cheeses to five individual cheese presentations, each with a specific accompaniment. For example, I had fourme d'ambert with pears.

Ethan will be cooking at the Beard house in New York in a few weeks. I think its March 5 it I remember correctly. I never really thought about the logistics before, but he's planning to bring coolers full of supplies on dry ice along with him on the red-eye flight the night before.

[DRColby]

We attended Ethan's presentation at the James Beard House Saturday night.

He never fails to impress and the evening was not exception. There was approximately 100 people including a good contingent from Seattle.

After Hawaiian prawns wirh Meyer lemon and Kushi oysters with Champagne gelee paired with a Brut blanc-de-blanc from Alsace, they served foie gras with Cherry Roulade in a port reduction accompanied by another Alsace vintage, '02 gewurztraminer.

The first fish course was a poached scallop with cucumber foam and spoonbill caviar. It was well matched with an Edna Valley '96 Quipe Roussanne.

Second fish course was grilled octopus in artichoke puree with Liguruan olives in a balsamic reduction. That was paired with an '03 Argiolas vnementios di Sardegna. This worked well.

The meat course was roasted beef tenderlion with sauteed polenta, shallot sauce and a liberal dose of shaved OR truffles. The crew brough a case and a half of Mathews '01 Columbua cellar red and I think, at least for me, this was the wine highlight of the evening.

For the cheese course he paired a d'Ambert blue with buttered fingerling potatoes and micro greens. The wine was a big Argentian Malbec.

And, of course, he ended with his choclate expresso pot de creme matched wuth a tokay from Australia.

Ethen had ten in his contingent. He brought Mike, his sous chef, of course, and his wine guy. I don't thi9nk I ever appreciated quite how good the others who work with Ethan are.

It was great. Last night I think they all went to WD 50 and troday they are cooking for a group of food writers.

It was greatbut I am a little enveious of the New Yorkers. The meal for non Foundation members was $115, but I think it is one of the best dining buys in NYC. Talking with New Yorkers I learned many make the Beard events a regular dining experience. Next time back we'll go there again.

On to more NYC resturants today.

dave

[tighe]

Thanks for the report Dave, sounds like it was a good time. I'm glad that Ethan had a chance to get that kind of exposure and I'm interested to find out his impressions of WD-50.

[joeforte]

I had one meal at Union which was the 3-course tasting menu for lunch. The food was awesome but the portions were not. I understand that it is only $20 and that YGWYPF but if you order A-La-Carte are the portions this dismal as well?

Edited April 25, 2005 by joeforte (log)